ANYONE in the market for a stylish estate car will be hard-pushed to find a more attractive one than the Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon, which boasts the sleek lines for which Alfa Romeo and Giorgetto Giugairo are renowned.
From the front it looks just like the Alfa 159 saloon upon which it is based but from the side and rear it is an altogether different story.
Identical in length and height to the saloon, the Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon is narrower and comes with the advantage of a cargo-carrying rear end, albeit a surprisingly stylish one.
All Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagons are equipped to precisely the same levels as their saloon counterparts, with even entry-level models boasting electric windows in the front and rear, alloy wheels, an eight-speaker CD/radio sound system, audio controls on the leather-trimmed steering wheel, manual climate control, an immobiliser and an alarm. These features are in addition to the comprehensive safety equipment.
Lusso models also include Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, a media player and USB port in the glovebox, cruise control, electrically folding and heated door mirrors, rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control and automatic operation of the wipers and lights.
Top TI trim adds, among other features, leather upholstery, sports seats, 60:40 split-folding rear seats, heated front seats and aluminium cabin trim highlights.
Where the Sportwagon differs from the saloon is with its estate-car rear end, which has a cargo area of 405 litres rising to 1,235 litres, which is similar in size to the luggage areas of the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant.
The Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon has an excellent safety record and has been awarded EuroNCAP’s maximum five-star crash test rating for occupant protection, just like its saloon counterpart. That achievement is aided by the fitment of seven airbags as standard, including twin-stage front airbags for both front occupants and even an airbag to protect the driver’s knees. A knee airbag for the front passenger is available as an option.
As well as the extensive provision of airbags, the Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon features anti-whiplash head restraints, three-point seatbelts for all five occupants and three ISOFIX securing points for child seats. Sophisticated electronic driver aids such as VDC stability control and an advanced anti-lock braking system (including ASR, EBD and Brake Assist) are standard fitments.
The 1.9 JTDm 16v diesel engine produces the lowest CO2 emissions. With a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive it emits 157g/km. The 2.4 JTDm diesel produces 179g/km, which is the same as the lowest-emitting petrol model, the 1.8 MPI.
The Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon line-up offers the same choice of six power outputs as the saloon. The three petrol engines develop 140bhp, 185bhp and 260bhp. The 1.9 JTDm 16v diesel produces 150bhp and the 2.4 JTDm diesel is tuned to give 210bhp with a manual gearbox and 200bhp with the Q-Tronic automatic.
The Q-Tronic is a six-speed automatic transmission that also permits sequential manual gearshifts when desired, as well as sport and winter settings. Manual gearboxes have six forward gears on all models apart from 1.8 MPI versions, which have five.
The 1.8 MPI is the most fuel-efficient petrol model, with 37.2mpg economy and 179g/km of CO2 emissions. Its 129mph performance is boosted to 139mph by the 2.2 JTS petrol version, which averages 30.7mpg and 218g/km of CO2.
The most powerful variants are powered by a potent 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine. This option is available with manual or Q-Tronic transmissions as well as front-wheel drive or Q4 four-wheel drive for added traction. In manual front-wheel-drive format it delivers 155mph combined with 25.7mpg and 260g/km of CO2.
The muscular five-cylinder 2.4 JTDm diesel is also available with either front-wheel drive or Q4 four-wheel drive and manual or Q-Tronic. The manual front-wheel-drive variant gives 144mph performance mixed with 41.5mpg and 179g/km of CO2. The entry-level diesel is the 1.9 JTDm 16v, which trades a little performance for extra economy but it is still capable of 132mph despite its impressive 47.9mpg and 157g/km credentials.
The entry model Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon is the 1.8-litre petrol-powered TurismoI at £19,623.
Then there is the 2.2 JTS with prices of £22,267 and £23,735 for the Lusso.
The entry-level Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon diesel is the 1.9 JTDm 16v Turismo at £21,776 and there is also a 2.4-litre JTDm option with starting prices of £25,691 for the Lusso rising to £28,628 for the Q4 Ti. Across the range, Lusso trim is £1,500 more than the standard grade and the Ti £1000 more than the Lusso At the head of the line-up, the powerful 3.2 JTS V6 Q4 Ti Q-tronic is priced at £31,759.